The 1979 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix was the eighth round of the
1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 31st F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Season summary
A season of changing fortunes in the 500cc class saw American, Kenny Roberts capture his second crown in the face of the Suzu ...
. It took place on the weekend of 29–1 July 1979 at the
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), frequently referred to as ''Spa'', is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has he ...
.
Controversy
This race was notorious because the circuit of Spa had gotten a new layer of asphalt after the circuit's original length was reduced from 14.1 to 7 Kilometers. Because it was only finished two days before the start of the first free practices, there were a lot problems. The
FIM had approved the new venue five weeks before the start of the grand prix, but when
Kenny Roberts
Kenneth Leroy Roberts (born December 31, 1951, in Modesto, California) is an American former professional motorcycle racer and racing team owner. In 1978, he became the first American to win a Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship ...
made a promotional visit to the track four weeks before the start of the race, he noted that the road surface did not have a top layer of asphalt and that no guard rails were placed yet.
During the free practices and qualifying, many riders fell off their bikes as a result. It turned out that a tar truck had spilled so much tar that even one of the steamrollers had slipped off the track that week, and that too much oil was also processed into the asphalt.
As a response, the Belgian Minister of Public Works
Guy Mathot
Guy or GUY may refer to:
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* Guy (given name)
* Guy (surname)
* That Guy (...), the New Zealand street performer Leigh Hart
Places
* Guy, Alberta, a Canadian hamlet
* Guy, Arkansas, US, a city
* Guy, Indiana, US, an unincorp ...
mobilised many people of the Belgian
Civil defense
Civil defense ( en, region=gb, civil defence) or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from man-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mit ...
to clean up the slippery surface with fire brigade, brush and sweeper trucks all through the night. This however, did not help and top riders such as
Roberts
Roberts may refer to:
People
* Roberts (given name), a Latvian masculine given name
* Roberts (surname), a popular surname, especially among the Welsh
Places
* Roberts (crater), a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon
;United Stat ...
,
Sheene Sheene is a surname. Notable people with this surname include:
* Alice Sheene (), English silversmith
*Barry Sheene
Barry Steven Frank Sheene (11 September 1950 – 10 March 2003) was a British professional motorcycle racer. He competed ...
,
Ferrari and
Hartog Hartog and de/den Hartog(h) are Dutch surnames meaning "(the) duke" (modern Dutch ''hertog'').[boycotted
A boycott is an act of nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organization, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for moral, social, political, or environmental reasons. The purpose of a boycott is to inflict so ...]
the event after the Saturday qualifying due to the dangerous track conditions, which promptly enraged the tens of thousands of fans who already bought a ticket to see the race on Sunday. Once they found out about the decision, unrest and riots broke out. Angry fans tipped over cars and set them on fire, as well as the hay bales (which were lined up on the circuit as safety barriers for the riders) all through the night. Various fans had to be transported to the local hospital after various fights with the Belgian police had broken out.
Jack Middelburg
Jack Middelburg (30 April 1952 – 3 April 1984) was a Dutch professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Together with Wil Hartog and Boet van Dulmen, he was part of a contingent of Dutch riders who competed at the highest levels of Grand Pr ...
and
Boet van Dulmen
Boet van Dulmen (; 19 May 1948 – 16 September 2021) was a Dutch Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Together with Wil Hartog and Jack Middelburg, he was part of a contingent of Dutch riders who competed at the highest levels of Grand Prix ra ...
originally were going to start the race because they believed that a track is also slippery when it's wet and because they didn't want to disappoint the many fans who came to see the race live, but when Dutch supporters of
Wil Hartog
Wil Hartog (born 28 May 1948) is a Dutch former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He competed in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1970 to 1981. Hartog was the first Dutch competitor to win a 500cc Grand Pri ...
, due to a lack of solidarity, threatened that they would throw beer bottles on the track when they would pass by, they also boycotted the race.
In the end,
Dennis Ireland
Dennis Ireland (born 19 November 1954) is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from New Zealand. He had his best season in 1979 when he won the 500cc Belgian Grand Prix and finished the year in 14th place in the 500cc world championship. I ...
would go on to win his only Motorcycle Grand Prix due to all the top racers not starting the race.
Aftermath
After the race, the FIM initially suspended Kenny Roberts and Virginio Ferrari as the largest "rioters" and the Belgian Motorcyclist Association suspended four drivers, but the FIM Committee for Safety, Sports Coordination and Competitions converted the suspension into a conditional suspension and a fine and the BMB followed that example. After the training sessions of the
next Grand Prix in Sweden, the drivers issued a communiqué in which it was first reported that the fine would not be paid. In addition, a number of requirements were set for the 1980 season:
* Full travel and accommodation allowance for the races in the US, Canada, Venezuela, Sweden, Finland and Spain.
* Additional safety measures at the
Nürburgring
The is a 150,000 person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long "North loop" track, built in the 1920s, around the village a ...
, the
Karlskoga Motorstadion
Karlskoga Motorstadion, also known as Gelleråsen Arena, is the oldest permanent motorsport race track in Sweden.
The circuit is located north of Karlskoga.
The layout is such that the whole track can be seen from all spectator areas.
It is cur ...
, the
Imatra Circuit
The Imatra Circuit is a motorsport street circuit in Imatra, Finland. The circuit has existed in two versions, and has been exclusively used for the "Imatranajo" motorcycle road race. From 1962 to 1978 a clockwise street circuit in the east ...
and Spa-Francorchamps.
* Under no circumstances a possible Grand Prix of Switzerland, even if it was organized in another country.
* An increase of the minimum starting fee by 200%.
* Adequate press accommodation on all circuits.
* At the end of each season an election of three riders representatives in the CCR (Commission for Road Racing).
* On every circuit a decent (habitable) riders' quarter.
A few weeks later, 40 professional drivers, led by Kenny Roberts, presented a new organization and a new racing series: the ''"World Series of Motorcycle Racing"''. From the 1980 season onward the riders would not participate in any race organized by the FIM but only start in eight races with two classes: Formula 1 (500 cc) and Formula 2 (250 cc). The prize money was determined by the drivers. The idea did not last long: within a few weeks, Yamaha announced that he would side the FIM and, if necessary, to let Freddie Spencer race as a substitute for Roberts, and Roberts himself began to get doubts after
Giacomo Agostini
Giacomo Agostini (; born 16 June 1942) is an Italian multi-time world champion Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Nicknamed Ago, he amassed 122 Grand Prix wins and 15 World Championship titles. Of these, 68 wins and 8 titles came in the 500  ...
talked to him. Hard words were spoken during a press conference by Barry Sheene, Kenny Roberts and manager Barry Coleman. Roberts would never drive in FIM-Grands Prix again and all drivers who had signed in Silverstone for the World Series would go to court if they would start in FIM races. Those drivers were in turn tied to factory contracts and could be forced by the brands to drive for the FIM. At the beginning of the 1980 season it was already clear that the World Series could only be found under the umbrella of the FIM passage, and of course the FIM did not give permission. In a meeting, Wil Hartog was considered a coward because he did not want to sign for the World Series, but in the end Kenny Roberts, who was the instigator of all the fuss, had to bow his head. In fact, he even started at the Nürburgring in 1980, one of the circuits that had been deemed unsafe by the riders.
Furthermore, the problems with the asphalt persisted and the outcry of the disastrous 1979 race, prompted the FIM to switch the venue and race at the
Circuit Zolder
The Circuit Zolder, also known as Circuit Terlamen, is an undulating motorsport race track in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium.
History
Built in 1963, Zolder hosted the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix on 10 separate occasions in the 1970s and 1980s ...
for the
1980 season.
This however, was not a success and the chosen venue for the
1981 season was once again the Spa circuit.
Classification
500 cc
References
{{MotoGP_race_report
, Name_of_race =
Belgian Grand Prix
The Belgian Grand Prix ( French: ''Grand Prix de Belgique''; Dutch: ''Grote Prijs van België''; German: ''Großer Preis von Belgien'') is a motor racing event which forms part of the Formula One World Championship.
The first national race of ...
, Year_of_race = 1979
, Previous_race_in_season =
1979 Dutch TT
The 1979 Dutch TT was the seventh round of the 1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 21–23 June 1979 at the TT Circuit Assen located in Assen, Netherlands.
Classification 500 cc
References
{{MotoGP_race ...
, Next_race_in_season =
1979 Swedish Grand Prix
, Previous_year's_race =
1978 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1978 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 21 May 1978 at Zolder. It was the sixth race of the 1978 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1978 International Cup for F1 Constructors. The 70-lap race was won from pole positi ...
, Next_year's_race =
1980 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1980 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zolder on 4 May 1980. It was the fifth round of the 1980 Formula One season. The race was the 38th Belgian Grand Prix and the seventh to be held at Zolder. The race was held ove ...
Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix
Motorcycle Grand Prix
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start of ...
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...